How to play Am (A Minor) on Ukulele
Diagram, notes, and audio for the Am chord on ukulele. Free in your browser.
About Am on ukulele
A minor on the ukulele is the easiest minor chord on the instrument. Just one finger: middle on the 2nd fret of the G string. Open C, open E, open A. The chord notes are A, C, and E — all three of which appear as either the fretted G-string note (A, raised one whole step) or as the open C and E strings. After C major, Am is the second chord every uke teacher introduces.
Am is the i chord in A minor (no sharps, no flats — relative minor of C major) and the vi in C major. The pairing of Am and C is one of the foundations of pop ukulele: any vi-IV-I-V loop in C — Am-F-C-G — uses both. Famous examples include Riptide, Don't Stop Believing, and most beginner ukulele method-book songs.
Because Am uses one finger on the same string as G major's middle finger, the switch from Am to G is mostly about adding two more fingers rather than relocating any. Practising Am → C → F → G as a four-chord loop is the most common beginner ukulele exercise, and it covers the I-vi-IV-V of the most-used pop key.
Frequently asked questions
- How many fingers do I need for Am on ukulele?
- Just one — middle finger on the 2nd fret of the G string. Three of the four strings remain open.
- What's the difference between Am and A major on ukulele?
- Am uses one finger; A major uses two (1st fret of C, 2nd fret of G). The fretted note on the C string lifts the third from C natural up to C# — the only note that changes between the two chords.
- What chords pair with Am on ukulele?
- C, F, G, Dm, and E (or E7) — the diatonic chords of A minor and its relative major C.
Switch instruments
See Am on a different instrument — same chord, new diagram.